High school students explore job market

McMinnville High School students search for summer jobs and explore career fields in various ways, including attending events like the Women in Trades Career Fair.

Before school let out, 11 McMinnville High School (MHS) students took a field trip to Portland to participate in a hands-on event, which is intended to offer girls a first-hand look at a career in trades.

The MHS students visited the Exhibit Hall that featured interactive activities and information booths staffed by professional tradeswomen who shared background about their companies and the industries they work in.

“It was amazing to find out how few women there really are in the trades,” said MHS staff member Lisa Johnson, who chaperoned the trip. “But they seemed to love their jobs and also love the companies they work for.”

The students were then assigned to two specific sessions, a bridge-building workshop hosted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and a tool use seminar that featured construction of a small house.

The field trip was coordinated by the MHS College and Career Center, which helps students find summer jobs, research careers and colleges/universities, create career goals, complete a career-related experience and other career-related activities.